The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund has unveiled plans to ensure applications for compensations or claims from victims of work accidents are processed and paid within 10 days.
The Managing Director of NSITF, Michael Akabogu, disclosed this during the 2022 NSITF-SERVICOM Stakeholder Forum in Abuja on Thursday.
The agency said it had a standard practice of responding timely to claims within 14 days but noted that delays might occur due to a lack of prompt reports of cases by victims.
He said, “Over the past one year, most of the claims were paid before 14 days but now, we want to shorten the time frame to 10 days.”
He also announced plans for a fundamental restructuring of its service compact with the introduction of a toll-free 24-hour Call Centre to boost access and ginger prompt feedback from the public.
He said, “To bolster service delivery, the Fund will in the next few months unveil a toll-free, 24-hour Call Centre, with a catchy, easy-to-remember code to enhance access and prompt feedback.
“This is a fundamental step intended to tear down the wall between the fund and its numerous publics, especially with the issues of complaints on claims, registration and emergencies. It will effectively eliminate cases, where mishaps are not promptly reported for reasons of hours of the day or days of the week when offices are usually shut.”
Earlier in her address, the National Coordinator of Service Compact with All Nigerians, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli said the forum was an opportunity to interact with the beneficiaries and stakeholders of NSITF, and to equip participants with feedback towards ensuring seamless services.
She emphasised the place of routine monitoring of service delivery to engender new strategies to tackle emerging issues.
She, therefore, called on the agency to expedite action on the official presentation of its Service Charter as well as regular training of staff on service delivery and further pressed for a quarterly convening of stakeholder forum.
